Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-07-21
HOME, FARM, AND GARDEN.
Talk, with the Farmer, Orchards,
Stock. Breeder, Pou.terer, and
Housekesper.
Hints on House Decorations, Kitchen
Economy, and the Prcserya'
ton Of Healths
THE FARMER.
co,.nstnlks Ia Manure:

CoInstdl1ss In Manure:
Where cornstalks have been fed uncut
their long, woody substance makes the
manure not only difficult to handle, but re;
duces lis value very materially: 1t Is hard
work doing good plowing with loose long
stalks covering the surface; and when ,hey
nre turned under the fur1ow the effect on
light, dry ground is to nearly neutraiize
the value of the manure. In dry season
such manure does even more harm than
good. On heavy and rather wet land these
cornstalks may be beneficial by improving
its mechanical condition, especially Tor
corn. Bnt where cornstalks have been cut
into short lengths the stubs uneaten serve
nm excellent purpose rs a manure ap,
sorbent, and in this condition make good
manure for any crop.
Hha. to sacs for Seed.
Many mako the mistake, says writer in
the Indiana Farmer, of using the 1lrst
peas, beans, tomatoes, radishes, lettuce,
and quite list of plants, and allow what
is left 10 mature for seed. 1t requires but
a short time for the effect of this kind of
work to show itself in lower grade OF
products. The better plan is TO select the
best, as they grow, for seed, not out OF
what is left. but the best at first You
want to save the choice of the crop for
seed instead of choice of the leaving.
In the garden supply of lettuce, radishes,
turnips, peas, beans, melons, squashes,
tomatoes, and oil that class that mature
seed the first year can be saved TO very
good advantage. If you secure strong,
Vigorous plants and by cultivation induce
rapid growth, the best will give you plants
that will mature seed that you can save.
With field crops, such MS corn, oats,
sorghum, or potatoes, it will often pay to
plant n small plot for the especial purpose
of growing for seed, taking considerable
pains to secure the best growth, and then
selecting and storing the best for seed. 1t
is considerable expense to be obliged 10
purchase seed of this kind every spring,
and especially SO when, by making the
proper effort, YOU can secure fully as good
as what You can purchase. But on no
account save the seed unless you have n
very good crop. Improve rather than al
low the seed to detelierate. If you cannot
do this, it will be more economical to pur-
chase seed than 10 raise it. But with
proper care with quite number of varieties
it will pay to raise and save your own sup
ply of seed.
Profit in Oats.
Many farmers say there is no profit in
raising oats, yet others find them profit
able crop. If tho market price of the
grain is not profitable, the price paid for
young stock always is. The farmer who
sells oats and feeds his calves, pigs,
lambs, and colts all corn, or nearly SO,
makes mistake. Not few men find
oats Improbable because they do not feed
them, or do not feed them properly; yet
more because they do not get the full
value of the straw. If oats arc cut five
days earlier than is the common practice,
the straw is worth for feeding two thirds
of its weight of timothy hay, and this
earlier cutting increases, rather than d-
minishes, the value of the grain. OF
course the straw must be kept bright. If
it is not cut until it is "dead ripe" and
then piled up after threshing to bleach
and rot it is not worth much for feed. But
the cutting, curing, and feeding being
equally favorable, three pounds of ont
straw are worth rs much for winter feed
ing rs two pounds of hay. True, the
other articles fed must have more al
huminoids than when hay is fed, but this
The biggest price for oats is realized by
cutting the crop when most farmers would
pronounce it green, curing it nicely, then
store in NOW or under barracks, and feed
grain and straw. together after running
through n cutter and moistening. Cutting
oats little early also reduces the chances
of their lodging, and their liability to
lodgais the most serious objection to them
by farmers who have q soil rich in nitrogen
and rather deficient in silica-a very poor
soil of all grains.-Americdn A1ricut-
f,tiist.